Wixey Digital Planer readout

[Thomas Prondzinski]

Anyone here have or seen a Wixey Digital Planer readout? Woodcraft has them for 59.95. Was thinking of using one for the planer and one for the Performax.


Thanks Tom

[Jim Becker]

I ordered a digital readout that I'm installing on the planer bed of my Mini Max J/P from Accurate/Digi-Kit. Their kit for the small planers runs $99, so the one you've identified at Woodcraft sounds like a nice deal.

[Michael Perata]

I ordered a digital readout that I'm installing on the planer bed of my Mini Max J/P from Accurate/Digi-Kit. Their kit for the small planers runs $99, so the one you've identified at Woodcraft sounds like a nice deal.

Jim
Do you know of anyone else putting one on a 300?

How often to you have to set the height? Once I would hope, at least between battery and Tersa blades changes.

[Jim Becker]

Do you know of anyone else putting one on a 300?

No, but it's been done before. Jim Strain was interested in learning how things work out, too.

How often to you have to set the height? Once I would hope, at least between battery and Tersa blades changes.

I just unpacked it (received today) and am reading the manual "as we speak". (Will put some pics in my original thread shortly) The readout can be "locked" once you zero it to prevent accidental adjustments. Once that's done, it should be dead on. With the Tersas, it shouldn't matter with knife changes since they are no height differences...no sharpening!

[Michael Perata]

With the Tersas, it shouldn't matter with knife changes since they are no height differences...no sharpening!

I knew that, I really did!

[Mike Stanton]

I think it will be great I am going to get one one of these days. Mike

[Ron Huisinga]

Here's a Wixey being installed on DW-735
http://www.huisinga.org/gallery/view...lbumName=Wixey

[Boyd Gathwright]

.... Noted, thanks .

[Glen Blanchard]

I think DRO's are great. I have one on my router lift and think it's fantastic.

The thing I don't understand, however, is how to zero it out on a planer. Will a planer allow the knives to make contact with the table/bed? And if so, it would seem very easy to damage the blade.

Perhaps these don't get zeroed out on a planer, but a piece of stock of known thickness is placed in the planer and the knives are moved into contact with the stock. This would require the DRO be able to be dialed in to something other than a reading of zero though, and I have never seen that in a DRO.

How do these work?

[Mike Stanton]

I have had my 735 planer blades sharpened will that make it still work.Mike

[Scott Coffelt]

Someone posted a pic of the one from Woodcraft on another board I think, I know I saw it the other day. Anyways, I think theyran a board through and then set the board under the device and pushed a program button something. Seemed real easy to get it set up.

[John Miliunas]

I think DRO's are great. I have one on my router lift and think it's fantastic.

The thing I don't understand, however, is how to zero it out on a planer. Will a planer allow the knives to make contact with the table/bed? And if so, it would seem very easy to damage the blade.

Perhaps these don't get zeroed out on a planer, but a piece of stock of known thickness is placed in the planer and the knives are moved into contact with the stock. This would require the DRO be able to be dialed in to something other than a reading of zero though, and I have never seen that in a DRO.

How do these work?

Gentlemen, I have no clue as to the mechanics of it. I just know it works! Just went and picked up the Wixey. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=20346

At any rate, those who suggest zeroing it out against a known board thickness are spot on! That's exactly the way you do it. Hence, even if you've sharpened the blades (I'd still like to know how that is accomplished for the indexed type of blades. Any help???), as long as you run your stock through the planer and get an accurate thickness, you can zero out the readout to match that and be good from there on out.

[Glen Blanchard]

John - Actually, I would probably not understand the mechanics if you explained them to me. What I was asking was how these get calibrated. If you calibrate to a known stock thickness, you must be able to "dial in" the value, no? I have only seen DRO's that are calibrated by zeroing them out - never one that can be dialed in.

[Mark Katz]

Anyone here have or seen a Wixey Digital Planer readout? Woodcraft has them for 59.95. Was thinking of using one for the planer and one for the Performax.

Haven't seen it but I did notice that www.wixey.com offers them direct for the same price with free shipping. Also, there's a PDF of the owner's manual there, so you can get a better feel for the installation and use of it.

Mark

[Richard Wolf]

This is a pic of a Digital read out I use on my planer. I purchased it at a woodworking show. I can't find a brand name on it or the paper work.